Electrosurgical systems are used by physicians to perform specific functions during surgical procedures. For example, electrosurgical systems use high frequency electrical energy to remove soft tissue such as sinus tissue, adipose tissue, meniscus, cartilage and/or sinovial tissue in a joint, or to remove portions of a disc between vertebrae (e.g., remove end-plate, remove annulus fibrosus).
However, the spacing between vertebrae not only limits the number and spacing of electrodes on the tip of an electrosurgical wand, but also limits the amount of movement possible with the electrosurgical wand during spinal procedures. For example, narrow spacing between the vertebrae in many cases does not allow a surgeon to turn the electrosurgical wand over with the wand tip within the disc between the vertebrae. Despite the physical limitations, both the portion of the disc near the adjacent upper vertebrae, and the portion of the disc near the adjacent lower vertebrae, may need to be treated. Having an electrosurgical wand with dedicated upper and lower active electrodes, along with a dedicated return electrode, may simultaneously treat both sides of the disc, but is impractical both because of space considerations and because having two active electrodes may cause excessive muscle and/or nerve stimulation. Having an electrosurgical wand a dedicated active electrode that only treats one side of the disc one side of the disc requires the surgeon to remove wand, turn the wand over, and re-insert the wand to treat the other side of the disc—a series of events required many times during a spinal procedure, rendering the procedure time consuming and impractical.
Any advance that makes the treatment of tissue in confined spaces faster and easier for the surgeon, and less traumatic for the patient, would provide a competitive advantage.